The present disclosure relates to information systems.
Certain systems transmit information having various degrees of importance between system components. More important information can be given a higher priority during processing. In conventional robot-assisted surgical systems, for example, control and feedback signals typically are given a higher priority during processing. Other types of signals, such as routine system status messages, typically are given a lower priority during processing. The system typically is resilient to the delay of low-priority signals.
One conventional communication system used in robot-assisted surgical systems uses several hundred paths (e.g., wires) to connect a surgeon's control console to robotic arms. The use of hundreds of paths allows a dedicated path for each type of signal that is tailored at design time to the specific signal. However, the use of hundreds of paths makes setup and maintenance of the system cumbersome and requires substantial room to route all of the paths.